History Music / OKComputer

** The band admitted the drums on "Airbag" were recorded as an attempt to imitate the drum programming of Music/{{DJ Shadow}}'s ''Music/{{Endtroducing}}...''.

** "Climbing Up The Walls" is scary enough already. And then at the end most of the instruments fade out, leaving 16 violins playing notes separated by quarters. It can leave you thinking "Wait, how long were they there?!"

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ok-computer_3554.jpg]]

'''OK Computer''' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/{{Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. ''OK Computer'' received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. ''OK Computer'' initiated a shift away from the popular {{Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

-->The crackle of pigskin
-->The dust and the screaming
-->The yuppies networking.

* ChokeHolds: "Exit Music (For a Film)": "We hope that you choke."

* ConceptAlbum: To many the album qualifies, although the band denies it.
* CreepyMonotone [=/=] MachineMonotone: "Fitter Happier".
* DrivenToSuicide: "No Surprises" (maybe).

* TheFutureWillBeBetter: The song "No Surprises" semi-ironically evokes this trope.

* GoodHairEvilHair: "Karma Police": "Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill."
* InTheStyleOf: "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by Music/{{The Beatles}} and Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bohemian Rhapsody" were cited as influences for the multi-part structure of "Paranoid Android."
** Further Beatles influences appear in "Karma Police", whose main piano melody is reminiscent of "Sexy Sadie".
** The band admitted the drums on "Airbag" were recorded as an attempt to imitate the drum programming of Music/{{DJ Shadow}}'s ''Endtroducing...''.
* NewSoundAlbum: The album took the spacey but driving style of alt-rock the band had introduced on ''The Bends'', and proceeded to take it UpToEleven with additional ProgressiveRock elements, more intricate production and more elements drawn from other genres.

* RecordProducer: Nigel Godrich. This the first album where the band worked with him (after he had engineered ''The Bends''), since then he has produced all their albums.

* ShoutOut: The title of "Subterranean Homesick Alien" to Music/BobDylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

* {{Bookends}}: ''OK Computer'' begins and ends with a car crash: "The Tourist", which closes the album, describes the events leading up to it from the perspective of a bystander, and "Airbag," which opens it, describes the man driving the car's celebration after surviving the crash.

** ...which then fades into "Electioneering."

* GoodHairEvilHair: "Karma Police:" "Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill."

* AdultFear: A couple lines in "Fitter Happier."

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: From "Paranoid Android:"

* BittersweetEnding: Ends with the one-two TearJerker punch of "Lucky" and "The Tourist," which provide a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and resolve the tension and fear that pervade the rest of the album.
* {{Bookends}}: ''OK Computer'' begins and ends with a car crash: "The Tourist," which closes the album, describes the events leading up to it from the perspective of a bystander, and "Airbag," which opens it, describes the man driving the car's celebration after surviving the crash.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Recurs in "Fitter Happier," making the already creepy song even creepier.
* CarefulWithThatAxe: Thom's unsettling [[MetalScream distorted shriek]] the end of "Climbing Up the Walls."
* ChokeHolds: "Exit Music (For a Film):" "We hope that you choke."

* CreepyMonotone [=/=] MachineMonotone: "Fitter Happier."

** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" set the tempo for "Paranoid Android."
** The end of "Exit Music (For a Film)" fades into "Let Down."

** Further Beatles influences appear in "Karma Police," whose main piano melody is reminiscent of "Sexy Sadie."

* OffWithHisHead: Literally sung in "Paranoid Android."

* SanitySlippageSong: "Climbing Up the Walls", possibly "Fitter Happier."
* SelfBackingVocalist: The two vocal overdubs played simultaneously in the last verse of "Let Down."

** "Fitter Happier" is basically an extended spoken-word outro to "Karma Police."

* TakeThat: The line "Kicking screaming Gucci little piggy" in "Paranoid Android" has been interpreted by some people as a shot at the Music/SpiceGirls. [[note]]Kicking= Sporty. Screaming= Scary. Gucci= Posh. Little= Baby. Piggy= Ginger.[[/note]] The actual story behind the line is that Thom had a very unpleasant encounter he had in a Los Angeles bar, where a woman reacted violently after somebody spilled a drink on her.
** There are more straightforward shots fired at the capitalist corporate lifestyle of the West in "Paranoid Android," "Fitter Happier," "No Surprises," and "Let Down" ("disappointed people clinging onto bottles" references another event where Thom was in a bar and suddenly wondered what would happen if the floor would collapse.)
** The credits include a pisstake at their record label with the line "lyrics reproduced by kind permission even though we wrote them."

** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" are sampled from Creator/{{BBC}} radio, where they're used to mark the last seconds before a new hour starts.

'''OK Computer''' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band {{Music/Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. ''OK Computer'' received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. ''OK Computer'' initiated a shift away from the popular {{Main/Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

# "Exit Music (For A Film)" (4:24)

# "Climbing Up The Walls" (4:45)

!!! "Karma police, arrest these tropes":
* AdultFear: A couple lines in "Fitter Happier".

-->[[AC:Shot of baby strapped in back seat]]

-->The yuppies networking

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Recurs in "Fitter Happier", making the already creepy song even creepier.
* CarefulWithThatAxe: Thom's unsettling [[MetalScream distorted shriek]] the end of "Climbing Up The Walls".
* ChokeHolds: "Exit Music For A Film": "We hope that you choke."
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Insanity and paranoia is a major theme on this album.

* CreepyMonotone [=/=] MachineMonotone: "Fitter Happier".

** ...which then fades into "Electioneering".
** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" set the tempo for "Paranoid Android".
** The end of "Exit Music (For a Film)" fades into "Let Down".
* FakeLoud: "Climbing up the Walls" consists of two of Thom's vocal tracks layered over each other. The one that's mixed lower is clipped and distorted in this manner, but it's actually much quieter than the Thom's other vocal track, which is more clean and melodic.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The video for "Paranoid Android" has frontal nudity in it (and [[HardGay gay leathermen]]), although it is animated. Nevertheless, the unedited version was only played on MTV post-watershed.
* GoodHairEvilHair: "Karma Police": "Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill."
* InTheStyleOf: "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by Music/{{The Beatles}} and Music/{{Queen}}'s "Bohemian Rhapsody" were cited as influences for the multi-part structure of "Paranoid Android".
** Further Beatles influences appear in "Karma Police", whose main piano melody is reminiscent of "Sexy Sadie".
** The band admitted the drums on "Airbag" were recorded as an attempt to imitate the drum programming of Music/{{DJ Shadow}}'s ''Endtroducing....''.

* OffWithHisHead: Literally sung in "Paranoid Android".

* SanitySlippageSong: "Climbing Up the Walls", possibly "Fitter Happier".
* SelfBackingVocalist: The two vocal overdubs played simultaneously in the last verse of "Let Down".
* ShoutOut: The title of "Subterranean Homesick Alien" to Music/BobDylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".
** [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy Marvin the Paranoid Android.]]
** The beeps at the end of "Airbag" are sampled from BBC radio, where they're used to mark the last seconds before a new hour starts.
* SiameseTwinSongs: "Airbag" segues into "Paranoid Android".
** "The Tourist" and "Airbag" from ''OK Computer''. They tell a coherent story together, but are placed in reverse order, [[spoiler:[=Bookends=] with "The Tourist" at the end of the album and "Airbag" at the beginning.]]

* StudioChatter: "Climbing Up the Walls" contains clips of what is apparently studio chatter pitch-shifted and buried among the insect noises and violins. The song must be slowed down before it can even be noticed at all, and even then it's hard to make out what is being said (it seems to be "we're playing... ready?" though it also sounds rather like "amazing... amazing").
* TakeThat: The line "Kicking screaming Gucci little piggy" in "Paranoid Android" has been interpreted by some people as a shot at the Music/SpiceGirls.[[note]]Kicking= Sporty. Screaming= Scary. Gucci= Posh. Little= Baby. Piggy= Ginger.[[/note]] The actual story behind the line is that Thom had a very unpleasant encounter he had in a Los Angeles bar, where a woman reacted violently after somebody spilled a drink on her.
** There are more straightforward shots fired at the capitalist corporate lifestyle of the West in "Paranoid Android", "Fitter Happier", "No Surprises" and "Let Down" ("disappointed people clinging onto bottles" references another event where Thom was in a bar and suddenly wondered what would happen if the floor would collapse).
** The credits include a pisstake at their record label with the line "lyrics reproduced by kind permission even though we wrote them".

* SiameseTwinSongs: "Airbag" segues into "Paranoid Android".
** "The Tourist" and "Airbag" from ''OK Computer''. They tell a coherent story together, but are placed in reverse order, [[spoiler:[=Bookends=] with "The Tourist" at the end of the album and "Airbag" at the beginning.]]
** "Fitter Happier" is basically an extended spoken-word outro to "Karma Police."

* ShoutOut: The title of "Subterranean Homesick Alien" to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band {{Music/Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. ''OK Computer'' received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. ''OK Computer'' initiated a shift away from the popular {{Main/Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

* ZeroesAndOnes: A working title for the album.

* AdultFear: A couple lines in "Fitter Happier" concerning a baby smiling/strapped in the back seat.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Recurs in "Fitter Happier", accentuating the creepiness.

* CreepyMonotone: "Fitter Happier".

-->--'''Airbag''', Opening song of the album

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band {{Music/Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. ''OK Computer'' received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular {{Main/Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

* CarefulWithThatAxe: At the end of "Climbing Up The Walls".

* EpicRocking: "Paranoid Android".

** The sirens at the end of "Karma Police" trail off into "Fitter Happier" which then fades into "Electioneering".

* TheFutureWillBeBetter: The song "No Surprises" semi ironically evokes this trope.

* SiameseTwinSongs: "Android" segues into "Paranoid Android".

* RecordProducer: Nigel Godrich. This the first album where the band worked with him, since then he has produced all their albums.

* SelfBackingVocalist
* ShoutOut - The title of "Subterranean Homesick Alien" to Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues".

* TakeThat: The line "Kicking screaming Gucci little piggy" in "Paranoid Android" has been interpreted by some people as a shot at the Music/SpiceGirls.[[note]]Kicking= Sporty. Screaming= Scary. Gucci= Posh. Little= Baby. Piggy= Ginger.[[/note]] The actual story behind the line is that Thom had a very unpleasant encounter he had with a yuppie woman in a bar while drunk.
** There are more straightforward shots fired at yuppies and the corporate world in "Paranoid Android" and "Let Down" ("disappointed people clinging onto bottles" references another event where Thom was in a bar and suddenly wondered what would happen if the floor would collapse).

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band {{Music/Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular {{Main/Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

Critics and fans often comment on the underlying themes found in the lyrics and artwork, emphasising Radiohead's views on rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation, and political malaise; in this capacity, OK Computer is often interpreted as having prescient insight into the mood of 21st century life.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking - From "Paranoid Android:"

* BittersweetEnding - Ends with the one-two TearJerker punch of "Lucky" and "The Tourist," which provide a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel and resolve the tension and fear that pervade the rest of the album.

* CarefulWithThatAxe - At the end of "Climbing Up The Walls".

* ConceptAlbum - To many the album qualifies, although the band denies it.
* CreepyMonotone - "Fitter Happier".
* EpicRocking - "Paranoid Android".
* FadingIntoTheNextSong

* FakeLoud - An odd example. "Climbing up the Walls" consists of two of Thom's vocal tracks layered over each other. The one that's mixed lower is clipped and distorted in this manner, but it's actually much quieter than the Thom's other vocal track, which is more clean and melodic.

* NewSoundAlbum - And how.

* SiameseTwinSongs - "Android" segues into "Paranoid Android".
** "The Tourist" and "Airbag" from ''OK Computer''. They tell a coherent story together, but are placed in reverse order, [[[=Bookends=] with "The Tourist" at the end of the album and "Airbag" at the beginning.]]

* StudioChatter: - "Climbing Up the Walls" contains clips of what is apparently studio chatter pitch-shifted and buried among the insect noises and violins. The song must be slowed down before it can even be noticed at all, and even then it's hard to make out what is being said (it seems to be "we're playing... ready?" though it also sounds rather like "amazing... amazing").
* TakeThat: The line "Kicking screaming Gucci little piggy" in "Paranoid Android" has been interpreted by some people as a shot at the Music/SpiceGirls.[[note]]Kicking= Sporty. Screaming= Scary. Gucci= Posh. Little= Baby. Piggy= Ginger.[[/note]]

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by {{AlternativeRock}} band {{Music/Radiohead}} in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular {{Main/Britpop}} genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

* [=Bookends=] - ''OK Computer'' begins and ends with a car crash: "The Tourist," which closes the album, describes the events leading up to it from the perspective of a bystander, and "Airbag," which opens it, describes the man driving the car's celebration after surviving the crash.

* [=Cloudcuckoolander=]: Insanity and paranoia is a major theme on this album.

!!Tropes:

* [=BookEnds=] - ''OK Computer'' begins and ends with a car crash: "The Tourist," which closes the album, describes the events leading up to it from the perspective of a bystander, and "Airbag," which opens it, describes the man driving the car's celebration after surviving the crash.

* [=CloudCuckoolander=]: Insanity and paranoia is a major theme on this album.

* BookEnds - OK Computer begins and ends with a car crash: "The Tourist," which closes the album, describes the events leading up to it from the perspective of a bystander, and "Airbag," which opens it, describes the man driving the car's celebration after surviving the crash.

* CloudCuckoolander: Insanity and paranoia is a major theme on this album.

** "The Tourist" and "Airbag" from ''OK Computer''. They tell a coherent story together, but are placed in reverse order, [[BookEnds with "The Tourist" at the end of the album and "Airbag" at the beginning.]]

* InTheStyleOf: "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by {{The Beatles}} influenced "Paranoid Android".

** From ''OK Computer:'' The sirens at the end of "Karma Police" trail off into "Fitter Happier" which then fades into "Electioneering", and the beeps at the end of "Airbag" set the tempo for "Paranoid Android".

* InTheStyleOf: "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" by The Beatles influenced "Paranoid Android".

* GoodHairEvilHair: "Karma Police": "Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill."

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/Radiohead in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular Britpop genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Main/Radiohead in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular Britpop genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/Radiohead in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular Britpop genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade.

''OK Computer'' is the third album released by AlternativeRock band Music/Radiohead in 1997. Upon release the album reached the top position in the UK charts and became their highest album entry on the American charts, debuting at number 21 on the Billboard 200. OK Computer received considerable acclaim upon release. Prominent British and American rock critics predicted the album would have far-reaching cultural impact. In subsequent years, the album has been frequently cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest of its time. OK Computer initiated a shift away from the popular Britpop genre of the time to the more melancholic and atmospheric style of alternative rock that would be prevalent in the next decade. Critics and fans often comment on the underlying themes found in the lyrics and artwork, emphasising Radiohead's views on rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation, and political malaise; in this capacity, OK Computer is often interpreted as having prescient insight into the mood of 21st century life.